The Darkness have been named songwriters of the year at the Ivor Novello songwriting awards.

The band's members - Justin Hawkins, Dan Hawkins, Frankie Poullain and Ed Graham - were jointly named winners at the ceremony in London on Thursday. More from BBC News »

You know you've made it when something is named after you, or so they say. So Justin Darkness must really have made it then as he's had a baby giraffe named after him! Suffolk Wildlife Park in Kessingland, near Lowestoft decided to honour Justin Hawkins' wild rock image.

Justin said: "It's a great honour to have a baby giraffe named after me and it's a wonderful that the Wildlife Park has stuck its neck out."

He added: "In a way, we The Darkness, are all newborn calves taking our first stumbling steps into the celebrity world and I am delighted that the people and animals of East Anglia are all right behind us. I hope we can offer the same support to young Justin." More from BBC News »

It's no laughing matter. Our boy Justin has been on the receiving end of some hate mail. He has called in the police after receiving a letter with a death threat shortly after The Darkness won three awards at last week's Brits.

Justin told The Sun: "It was a hand-written letter, it's very weird. It's quite flattering that somebody wants to kill me but at the same time it's very scary. More»

Yes it may actually happen, you could live on Darkness Avenue or Hawkins Close!

Managers at Waveney Council have agreed in principle to look into ways of celebrating the success of our favourite Lowestoftonians The Darkness.

The council may host a civic reception and name a street after some of the band. More»

They've done Suffolk proud! The Darkness were top winners at this year's Brits taking away three awards. The glam-rockers took best British album, best British group and best British rock act at the event in London. Lowestoft boy Justin said: "It's a real privilege, a tremendous honour and a real achievement."

We knew they rocked and now the rest of the world does too! More from BBC News »

Despite being nominated in four categories The Darkness won nothing at the NME Awards 2004.

They were pipped at the post by Kings Of Leon, who won best new band and best international band, and Radiohead, who took best album for Hail To The Thief and best video for There There.

NME gave The Darkness poor reviews early in their career and since then the boys won't have anything to do with the magazine... could this be the reason for the lack of awards...? More from BBC News »

The Darkness begin their US tour on March 26th in Milwaukee.

We weren't sure what the Americans would make of our lycra-clad Suffolk rockers but it seems as though they're going down a treat; their 'Permission To Land' album has already sold 165,000 copies in the US.

The band will play 18 dates Stateside, ending in Denver on April 19th.

The Darkness have followed on from their Brits recognition with four nominations in this year's NME Awards - best British band, live band, video and single for 'I Believe in a Thing'.

Read more about the NME Awards 2004 »

The Suffolk lads have continued their meteoric rise to stardom by receiving four nominations in this year's Brit Awards. They have been nominated for the best British album, best British rock act, best British breakthrough act and best British group.

We reckon they're a dead cert for the best rock act so there's no chance of them 'doing a Craig David' and walking away with nothing after receiving so many nominations. You never know, maybe all four awards will be winging their way towards Suffolk.

Read more about the Brit Awards 2004 »

The Darkness have been credited with the highest climbing album in the US Top 200 Chart rising from 173 to 92 last week. The Hawkins brothers and chums have the chance to climb even higher in the coming weeks though with appearances on the David Letterman chat show and at the Virgin Megastore in New York's Times Square pencilled into their diaries.

You know you've made it when one of the Gallagher brothers has a pop at you, it's a British tradition. The Darkness were recently on the end of a Mancunian style verbal dressing down when brother Noel was heard to say "I don't know why people hate them or love them. It doesn't do anything for me, and I'm not even sure whether the people who like them genuinely like them." Fairly tame for him to be fair.

Lycra-loving Justin responded to Noel's surprisingly bland comments on a Darkness fan-site with "Noel Gallagher is the most overrated 'lead' guitarist in rock history."

Now now boys, as no doubt your parents told you, fighting never solved anything.

It would seem that pop pap isn't dead. It may not even be on its last legs going by the Pop Idols success in the race for the much coverted Christmas number one slot. The Darkness came a very respectable second but we all know they deserved the top spot.

Shops in Suffolk have been reporting great sales of the single 'Christmas Time - Don't Let The Bells End', but here at BBC Suffolk we wanted to find out what was the earliest musical inspiration for the Lowestoft rockers.

Up to the age of nine Justin and Dan Hawkins attended Yoxford Primary School where their musical talent became apparent early on.

Guy Campbell goes back to school to find out the real musical inspiration for The Darkness.
Listen to Guy Campbell's report »

The Darkness' Christmas single, 'Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)' is on course for being the Christmas number one.

Although he's touring Spain at the moment, Lycra-loving frontman Justin had time to say: "In honour of the marvellous support bestowed upon us by the sweet people of the British Isles, we giveth unto thee the gift that keeps on giving. It might be a Christmas song but it still rocks in the unique Darkness fashion."

BBC Radio Suffolk are running a campaign for the single to be Suffolk's first number one. They've worked out that if every household in Suffolk buys the single, it will be number one for certain. We agree so get buying!

Listen to Dan and Justin's parents Harry and Sandy chat to BBC Suffolk's Will Tillotson »

The Darkness have been credited with reviving the fortunes of the seven-inch single. The format was facing the chop, but, according to latest industry figures, sales for the past quarter year have more than doubled compared with the same period two years ago.
Bands including The Darkness, The White Stripes and Iron Maiden are among groups who have recently released their music on seven-inch. I Believe in Thing Called love has been the biggest seller so far this year.

We may have wanted to call in the fashion police on Justin several times, but not the real police!
Justin flew into JFK Airport on Tuesday for a photoshoot with US mag Spin, but police hauled him down the cop shop after mistaking him for a wanted man with the same name and similar looks.
They only agreed to let him go after his fiancee and manager Sue Whitehouse produced a tour schedule which proved he was in England on July 4th when the crime was committed.
Justin told the Current Bun: "I would like to reassure the public that I do not pose a threat - but it might be an idea for Americans to lock up their daughters."

Rumours of the Darkness moving to Southwold have left locals a little miffed.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Justin and co have their hearts set on moving to the town. However, the thought of bumping into a guitar-playing, catsuit-wearing member of the band in the local cornershop isn't a pleasant one for the town's mainly elderly population.
Southwold's council clerk Jennifer Hursell told the paper: "People come to Southwold for a quiet time. They don't come to play their electric guitars on the beach. The whole thing is nonsense."
Fellow resident Albert Smith added: "The last thing we need is some kind of heavy metal noise. It would spoil the town's character."
Luckily for the band, not all of the town's inhabitants are down on the idea. Alice Stevens, 61, said: "Rock stars in Southwold would be quite the novelty, wouldn't they?"

The Darkness treated hundreds of fans to an intimate homecoming concert on Monday - even if it did have to take place in Great Yarmouth.
The boys performed most of the songs from their Number One album "Permission To Land", as well as the forthcoming Christmas single "Christmas Time - Don't Let the Bells End".
As well as fans, family and former Kirkley High School teachers (Justin, Dan and Ed attended Kirkley High) were also in the crowd.

Prime Minister Tony Blair has admitted he's a fan of The Darkness. Mr Blair told pupils at a London school he'd been listening to the band's latest album after finding it in his children's CD collection.